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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2001-06-13, Page 10they're now at an age where routine maintenance isn't necessarily going to serve the buildings well." The architect advised "a systemat- ic approach" to assessing all school roofs, before naming St. Aloysius, St. James and Mount Carmel as par- ticular priorities. "It would appear that items such as roofs, mechanical systems could start failing simultaneously," the report states. "This would force the board into some major expendi- tures. By phasing over a series of years, emergencies can be mini- - mized and these upgrades more con- trolled." . Following the meeting, superin- tendent of business Gerry Thuss said the board would likely take Marklevitz's advice to heart, and give roofing a major priority during considerations about upcoming maintenance projects. Earlier in the meeting, Thuss had explained that changes to this year's provincial funding formula have provided the Huron-Perth board with approximately an additional $480,000 for facilities renewal. 'Wedding announcement BROWN BEUERMANN They did it, they finally did it, although they left me in Canada! On April 23, 2001, in the .Dominican Republic, Megan Brown and Brad Beuermann, in -front of about thirty guests, were wed. Mom. Dad. I wish I -could have been there, but I'm glad you're home. Woof, Woof Storm Digging in PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2001 Separate school board hears 3 schools need attention By Stew Slater Marklevitz explained that his staff Special to The Citizen visited each of the board's schools to While delivering a "School carry out the Facilities Review, tak- Facility Review" to a Monday, May ing special note of certain predicted 28 regular meeting of the Huron- problem areas. "We went to look for Perth Catholic District School bad brick, bad roots, all these types Board, Stratford-based architect and of items. We went through a check- consultant Terry Marklevitz first tort list." trustees about three elementary At Kingsbridge, "nearly every schools which "absolutely need item we hit was a major problem." attention," mainly to their roofs: St. The main exception was the largely Aloysius in Stratford, St. James in undamaged roof, which was surpris- Seaforth, and Our Lady of Mount ing considering the roof was the Carmel at RR3, Dashwood. most pressing concern in a majority Then he gave them the bad news. of the board's other schools. But "There are also two schools that underneath that roof, "significant air I'd like to centre out for special con- infiltration" from outside has caused cern," said Marklevitz, whose corn- condensation and subsequent dam- pany routinely carries out such age to the ceiling tiles. reviews for both the Catholic board "Due to the nature of the work, we and the Avon Maitland District would anticipate all walls would School Board. Those schools are St. need to be repainted . . . (and) all Mary's in Hesson (RR4, Listowel) ceilings be replaced," the Marklevitz and St. Joseph's in Kingsbridge report states. He added that, to defeat (RR3, Goderich). the problem at its source, a foam Board officials have been aware of insulation should probably be the situation in Hesson for several installed where the air is entering the years, but blame government inac- building, which would necessitate tion for the board's failure to fully the lowering of all ceilings address what Marklevitz's latest and, thus the replacement of all report lists as $507,565 worth of lighting. major and minor repair needs. At Kingsbridge, the estimated bill Trustees and administrators have for short-term and longer-term repair complained that the Mike Harris needs is $266,640, which is general- government, in its ongoing adjust- ly much greater than the estimates at ment of the educational funding for- other similar-sized schools and mula, has repeatedly failed to recog- rivals those at some significantly nize the need to replace such so- larger facilities. called "obsolete schools." For this However, Marklevitz stressed that, reason, building safety has been even at schools where the estimated maintained but there has been no bill is less, there are still often con- effort to tackle wider problems. terns. Such problems have largely The architect, however, admitted been addressed at sites of recent or that the situation at St. Joseph's ongoing expansions and upgrades — Kingsbridge "sort of snuck up on Holy Name of Mary school in St. Trustees hold off on St. Mary's school fate replacement," said Gerry Thuss, the board's superintendent of business. Since Harris's Conservatives dras- tically overhauled the Education Act in the mid-1990s, there has been no such recognition of the need for boards to replace deteriorating schools. That means there's no extra money available for the Huron-Perth board to either construct a new facil- ity on the St. Mary's site or build additions at nearby schools for stu- dents who might conceivably be transferred from Hesson. At the May 28 meeting, trustees once again agreed to put off a deci- sion on the school's future, in favour of calling for action from the gov- ernment. After receiving word from Thuss that there was no mention of the issue in a recent government announcement about 2001-2002 educational grants, trustee Vince McInnes suggested sending a "force- fully-worded letter," complete with information from Marklevitz and the St. Mary's school council, demand- ing action. Following the meeting, Thuss said the board can still guarantee the safety of the school, so classes will go ahead next September. "I don't believe it's at the critical stage yet." But he admitted the board — like others across the province facing similarly deteriorating buildings — can't wait forever. Trustee Mike Miller agreed, sup- porting renewed pressure on the government but also stressing the growing urgency. - ' "It would be nice to know one way or the other (from the government)," Miller said. "At least if we know they're not going to move on (the issue), we can go ahead and decide on our next step." Marys, Precious Blood school in Exeter. and the board's two high schools in Clinton and Stratford. But outside those four, roofing is a major concern, while there is also potential for trouble with windows and doors, lighting, and mechanical systems such as heating and ventilation. "The reality is that the schools are a little bit older," Marklevitz said. "For their age, they tend to be in good condition. There are a few exceptions, but I think they've served you well. "But, having said that, I think Auburn Sun. School presents awards On Sunday, June 10, the teachers of Knox United Sunday School pre- sented the children with the follow- ing awards: Bibles for students grad- uating from kindergarten to Grade I, Caroline McDowell, Lauren Cronin, Shelsie Popp, Ethan Durnin, Zachary Harman; first-year diploma, Joscelin Andrews; second-year seal, Danielle Bean, Alex Harman, Zachary Harman, Marshall Durnin, Ethan Dumin; third-year seal, Tony Bean, Shelsie Popp, Janette Plaetzer, Caroline McDowell, Lauren Cronin; fourth-year seal, Adam Cronin, Jamie Plaetzer; fifth-year seal, Jeff Plaetzer; sixth-year seal, Michael McDowell, Shawna Popp; eighth- year seal, Katie McClinchey, Adam Andrews, Johnathon McDowell; ninth-year seal, Erika Andrews; 10th-year seal, Ryan McClinchey; 1 lth-year seal, Charlotte Worsell. Sunday School teachers were Bev Lecomte, Sandra Popp, Shirley Andrews, Patti Cronin, Linda Plaetzer, Heather Durnin and Anne Vincent. The superintendent was Alice McDowell. Check out The Citizen's WEBSITE at www.northhuron.on.ca By Stew Slater Special to The Citizen Trustees of the Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board have decided to wait a little longer before considering the fate of the deteriorat- ing St. Mary's elementary school in Hesson, in the hopes that the provin- cial government devises a policy for so-called "obsolete schools." The RR4, Listowel facility, which houses 158 students and date's to 1924, was singled out "for special concern" by Stratford-based archi- tect and consultant Terry Marklevitz, as he delivered a "School Facilities Review" during a regular board Meeting Monday, May 28. The review cites "significant (building and fire) code infractions, outdated - electrical fixtures, the possible pres- ence of potentially health-endanger- ing PCBs and asbestos, and signifi- cant difficulties in making the facili- ty wheelchair-accessible. It's not the first time such prob- lems have been highlighted. Past Marklevitz reports have outlined the need for repairs, with the current Facilities Review estimating the total bill at $507,565. The St. Mary's school council has also submitted information about the building's deficiencies in the past and has actively sought action from the school board. So far, however, the board has repeatedly decided to wait for clari- fication of the "obsolete schools" issue from premier Mike Harris's government. "In the past, the (education) min- istry would provide funding for the replacement of a school if it was determined that the value of the repair would equal a certain percent- age of what it would cost for the Students, parents and staff volunteered to build a base for the new playground equipment at Sacred Heart school in Wingham Saturday, June 2. The-equipment arrived June 12. From left: Greg Higgins, Bruce Campbell, Frank Sanders and Scott Bridge. The effort was headed by Greg Dwyer. (Photo submitted)